About
World Wide Aquarium & Pets has been a Philadelphia institution for decades — one reviewer has been buying feeder mice for their snake here for over 40 years. This family-owned shop on the edge of the city operates as a full-spectrum pet store with a strong aquatic department that draws fishkeepers from well beyond the immediate neighborhood. The freshwater selection is the main draw for aquarists.
Reviewers mention finding Chili Rasboras here — a micro fish that's notoriously hard to track down at chain stores — alongside neon tetras, cherry shrimp, and axolotls. Live plants are available too, and at least one customer reported exceptional growth from plants purchased here. The store also stocks saltwater fish for those running reef or marine setups, along with driftwood, spider wood, various rocks, and the full range of aquarium supplies needed to build a tank from scratch.
One recent customer noted that Brendan walked them through an entire freshwater setup, helping them select everything they needed at prices that compete with or beat the big-box chains. Beyond fish, this place is a legitimate menagerie. Reptile enthusiasts will find leopard geckos, an array of snakes, turtles, tortoises, frogs, and lizards, plus feeder animals and all the terrarium supplies to go with them.
Small mammals like guinea pigs round out the live animal offerings, and the store will even take special orders and notify you when a specific animal comes in — a service that's hard to find elsewhere. The store does have its rough edges. Multiple reviewers have flagged tank cleanliness issues, noting algae buildup and occasional dead fish left in display tanks.
Some customers have also reported inconsistent phone manners. But the in-store experience tends to be warmer — staff members like Tyler and Brendan get called out by name for their helpfulness and depth of knowledge. For Philadelphia fishkeepers and reptile owners looking for a locally owned alternative to PetSmart and Petco, World Wide delivers fair prices, uncommon livestock, and the kind of genuine conversation about the hobby that chain stores simply can't replicate.
What they offer
Livestock, services, water
- Livestock & products
- Specializes in
Highlights
What makes them special
- Hard-to-find freshwater species like Chili Rasboras and axolotls
- Competitive pricing on aquarium supplies and livestock versus chain stores
- Special order service for specific animals with customer notification
- Extensive reptile selection including leopard geckos, snakes, and turtles
- Family-owned Philadelphia institution with over 40 years of community presence
From keepers
Customer reviews
“It’s used to be much better stocked with fish now there isn’t that many to choose from.”
— Pa Papi3.0a day ago“Bought 5 neon tetras. All died within 12 hours. My tank is pristine and all my other fish are healthy.”
— PROJECT YUSUF 2030 with Isa Mateen1.0a week ago“The folks at World Wide Aquarium & Pets are amazing. SO SO HELPFUL AND A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE!!! I literally showed them a video of the gecko i'm adopting and they hooked me up!!! The prices are great too. They have hard to find natural dog treats, great for spoiling my Akita, "Angela Davis" aka she approves 🐾2 PAWS up and she'sa picky eater!!!!”
— KadikadeyXx5.0a week ago“I like the place, it's one of those local places you wish was doing good, but I can't help but complain about how dirty and unkempt the fish tanks are. It's deplorable... dead fish, dirty walls, employees standing around doing nothing? There should be a baseline policy: If you are not doing anything, GO CLEAN THE TANKS! There is ich present (I've heard this from others here too), and too many dead fish. The prices are pretty good, comparable to Petco and Petsmart (ie. less expensive than Monster Pets!), however, I just can't support a place that seems to care nothing about their fish. Please clean your tanks. It's not like it's that hard. Take out dead fish, twice a day. Scrap the glass, and scrub... once a week. Go through and siphon out waste, and pick out dead plants, once a week. Then... keep the water changes going until the whole place is cleaner. Do I need to tell you how to run a fish store? No other complains. Except maybe your employees could be a little more cordial, instead of pretending to be.”
— Ryan Weiss3.02 weeks ago“Extremely rude and unprofessional management. I called on behalf of a small high school to inquire about a possible donation for our upcoming science fair. Mid-conversation, I was abruptly told, “Put something in the mail, I don’t talk to people on the phone,” and then the call was disconnected. There was no attempt to answer my question or provide basic courtesy. Very disappointing experience, especially when simply reaching out for community support.”
— Kalle Cooper1.03 weeks ago“I purchased two turtle 🐢 for my grand daughter for Christmas 🎄 there where a little pricey $50 dollar per 🐢 they're size of half dollar 🪙”
— Angela Thomas5.0a month ago“Visited on Christmas Eve more to have a look around and explore. This place feels nice, its clearly run with passion and care. Greeted with a warm hello upon entry but not chased around with "can I help". I ended up buying some Chili Rasbora (Not a fish I'd found anywhere else!) and cherry shrimp, I also had a number of fishkeeping questions varying in technicality. I was walked around the store to talk about various products that would solve my issues but in no way did it feel like a sales pitch. This was just two people enjoying a discussion about a field they share an interest in. Its a little out of the way for me but I'll happily drive past both my local PetCo and PetSmart to revisit this wonderful little store.”
— Chris Cook5.0a month ago“As someone who enjoys aquariums; I enjoy this store. They got a wide variety of fresh water fish, shrimp, and some live plants as well. Also lots of accessories like drift and spider wood, all kinds of rocks, and so on. I’ll be visiting this store occasionally.”
— Jannis Bartning5.0a month ago“This shop was recommended to me by others in the area when I was looking for an axolotl for a birthday present for my best friend. I went to the shop last Friday 12/12 and purchased one. The staff was very nice and knowledgeable and in between buying the axolotl and giving it as a gift we did exactly what they said. Unfortunately, the axolotl was deceased by Sunday night. I understand these things happen so I called trying to get a refund and explained what happened and was told the best they could do was give me store credit or replace the axolotl. My friend lives states away, I have no way to get him a replacement. I don’t have other pets so a store credit would never get used. I am a business owner myself and understand that we have policies in place but when a $156 trip to a store results in a dead pet 2 days later, I was just hoping for more understanding and compassion.”
— Sabrina Richmond1.0a month ago“Lovely selection of pet products both land and aquatic. Not to mention a wide variety of pets available, from countless fish, to rodents, turtles, reptiles, tortoises, and so much more. Live feed as well. They make an effort to offer help, and they definitely know their stuff.”
— Russ Webber5.02 months ago
Reference
Frequently asked questions
Note — Store information and services may change. Always call (215) 482-8700 to confirm current availability, hours, and services before visiting World Wide Aquarium & Pets.